Untitled Document
 Recently,
researchers have gathered information from
various national parks in
South Africa. A study shows that 341 rhinoceroses have been killed
so far in South Africa this year. In Vietnam, the last remaining Javan rhino was
found dead in April 2010. Even Western countries are seeing a problem
with rhino poaching. Many zoos in France
have found dead rhinoceroses with their horns cut off. It seems as if hunters and poachers will not stop until
all of the rhinos are wiped off the planet.
Rhinoceroses' horns are very valuable in places like Africa,
South Asia, and the Middle East. Some Asian cultures use the horn for
traditional medicine. The
Vietnamese believe that it
can cure cancer. However, there is
no scientific proof that it
can do this. In the Middle East, the horns are used to make handles for weapons like swords, knives, and even guns. The horns, which are
made out of keratin, are all sold on
the black market. The black market
is the buying and selling of illegal goods. One horn can cost anywhere from 38 million
won to 308 million won.
 Hunting
and poaching rhinos for their horn is internationally illegal,
but it is hard to stop people from harming these animals. However,
different groups across the globe are doing their best to prevent poaching and help
the rhinos. French zoos are using 24-hour video surveillances. Some national
parks in South Africa have resorted to de-horning rhinos before
poachers can get to them.
Some wildlife animal activists
have taken the issue to the next level. Experts drilled in GPS locating devices into the
horns of five black rhinos in the Mafikeng Game Reserve in South Africa.
The rhinos’ locations can be seen by
using a cell phone. If poachers succeed in cutting off the
horn, then authorities can find that person and arrest them using the GPS
system.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)세계야생생물기금 is very worried that rhinos
will soon go extinct. They recently
moved 19 sleeping rhinos to a safe area by tying their legs to a helicopter
and flying them to their new
homes. |
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